APRO, NICAP and the Civilian Investigators
Coral and Jim Lorenzen founded the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO) in 1952. The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) followed in 1956, and retired Marine Major Donald Keyhoe, author of 'The Flying Saucers Are Real,' became its director. NICAP collected reports, recruited scientists and former officers, and lobbied Congress for hearings, arguing the Air Force was hiding what it knew.
The ledger
What the record shows, what people say, and the best explanation available so far.
What's documented
- NICAP's publications, case files and congressional lobbying are on record.
- The Robertson Panel had recommended monitoring civilian UFO groups, and the CIA's files mention NICAP.
What's claimed
- The Air Force was covering up evidence of alien craft.
Best explanation so far
These groups shaped how UFOs were investigated and debated for decades. They kept the subject in front of Congress and helped bring about the 1966 hearing. NICAP declined in the 1970s.
Check the sources
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The Condon Committee
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